Emmetropization is the eye’s natural tendency to adjust its focus so that light is properly focused on the retina, achieving clear vision without glasses.
How it works:
- During childhood, the eye grows and the lens changes shape to match the eye’s length.
- If the eye is too short or long, it can lead to refractive errors like myopia (nearsightedness) or hyperopia (farsightedness).
- The brain and eye work together to fine-tune focus, but if this process is disrupted (like by too much near work), it can cause myopia progression.
Key points:
- Critical period: Mainly happens in childhood and early teens.
- Visual input matters: Clear vision encourages proper emmetropization; blurred or restricted vision can lead to refractive errors.
- Myopia control: Treatments like low-dose atropine drops, orthokeratology lenses, or multifocal lenses aim to slow myopia by influencing this process.